A flat viewing surface is advantageous for several reasons.
First, the image itself is more realistic. With a conventional
tube TV the image is distorted by the curvature of the glass.
With Flat TV the image is not distorted in this fashion at
all. Second, the viewing angle is wide on most flat monitor
surfaces. Flat TV's are viewable from anywhere in the room
with a normal viewing angle of 160 degrees. This surface appears
brighter and clearer to the viewer, especially from an angle.
Finally, the flat surface minimizes the viewing interference
of reflections from room lighting.

Will
I be able to watch television on my plasma screen?

Plasma monitors do not come with built in tuners. An NTSC/ATSC
television signal must be passed through a satellite box,
cable box, HDTV receiver, VCR/VHS device, or an outboard tuning
device. Most of these components offer an RF style cable input
(what we think of as a cable connection). Signals are then
passed to the plasma TV using the following connections:
From a satellite box an s-video cable is normally utilized.
From a cable box a composite RCA to RCA or RCA to BNC connection
is used.
From an HDTV decoder box a 15 pin VGA to 15 pin VGA cable
is normally used; though 3 cable component RCA to component
RCA or BNC is also often an option.
From a VCR/VHS an RCA to RCA or BNC is normally used though
S-video is better option if available on the VCR.
Optional decoders will have a mix of the above options.

How can you listen to audio on a
plasma screen?

There are only a handful of plasma TVs which include built
in speakers, most manufacturers do however offer speakers
as additional options which can be attached to the side of
the plasma TV. You also have the option to connect the audio
to a home theater system and avoiding the need for speakers
attached to the plasma TV.

Will Plasma screens soon become
outdated?

Absolutely not. Plasma TVs are ready for the future. Whether
it be DVD, HDTV, Digital TV, or a digital satellite receiver,
the Plasma TV is the perfect display companion. The dramatic,
high-impact picture makes it not only compatible but a very
wise choice of television viewing.

What is Burn-in?

Burn-in is when an image becomes permanently etched onto
the display panel. Burn-in usually occurs when a pixel, each
of which contains a red, green and blue light source, is activated
for long periods. When this happens, the pixel begins to age
prematurely. This is due to the shorter life span of the blue
phosphor gas which, as it ages, generates a yellowish tint.
That tint creates the permeant etched image, or
burn-in.

How do I choose which resolution
Plasma Screen to buy?

The resolution of your plasma screen should match the native
resolution of your computer display, this will avoid image
fuzziness that often comes from scaling one input format to
a different output format.

What is shadowing?

An industry wide issue for plasma technology, shadowing is
caused by still images - such as a computor graphic or static
photo - which remain on the screen for an extended amount
of time. This effect typically occurs when an imge previously
displayed at a higher brightness level remains visable under
subsequent lower brightness images. The result is a ghoast-like
image, or shadow, that remains on the plasma screen. The so-called
shadowing will eventually disapear after displaying motion
video for a breif length of time.

What is the difference between shadow
and burn-in?

Put simply, shadowing is temporary and burn-in is permanent.
While similar to shadowing, burn-in is much more devastating
to a plasma display.

How can shadowing and burn-in be
avoided?

While shadowing and burn-in are an issue for all plasma displays,
there are some strategies that you can take to avoid these
issues. These solutions include: Avoid displaying 100% static
blue images. This helps offset the naturally shorter life
span of the blue phosphor gas. Switch between a static image
and a motion video frequently. This will limit the potential
of an image shadowing and, ultimately, burning in. For example,
for every 10 minutes of static image display, there should
30 to 50 minutes of motion video that follow, and so on. Display
motion video three to five times longer than a data filled
image. Doing so is a good rule of thumb. Again, displaying
ane minute of non-moving data, it is a good idea to then display
three to five minutes of full motion video. Rotate still data
images continuously. Avoiding the use of the same data images
for long periods of time helps reduce the possibility of image
shadowing or burn-in. This can be achieved by rotating the
image on the plasma display one pixel at a time in a circular
every five minutes or so. Use a screen saver. Just like those
used on most computers today, screen savers will help avoid
displaying the same image for extended periods. Adjust the
image brightness. Lowering the level of brightness intensity
helps decrease the amount of time it takes for shadowing and
burn-in to occur on the display.

What causes creak-like noises to
be emitted from the display?

As the panel's ambient temperature changes, the cabinet slightlly
expands and shrinks. There is no need to be alarmed, this
is not a serious problem.

Why has the power suddenly switched
off?

If the plasma display unit's temperature becomes too hot,
it may automatically switch itself off to prevent further
damage. If power is suddenly turned off, it is probably because
the air vents are blocked. Remove any objects blocking the
vents and clean, before turning the unit on again

Stripes appear on the screen

May be caused by radio waves mingling from TV station, FM
station, amateur radios, public radios (simplified radios)
etc., or a nearby personal computer, TV, or video / audio
component.